Bag-fastener.



J. W. KAUFMANN.

BAG FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. :4. 191a.

1 80L452o Patented Apr. 22,1919.

WI T/VESSES INVENTOH (JOHN M KAUPMfl/V/V) WQMK,

A TTOR/IEVS JOHN W. KAUFMA'NN, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BAG-FASTENEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application filed December 14, 1918. Serial No. 266,769.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN W. KAUTMANN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Bag-Fasteners, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in bags, and has for its object toprovide mechanism to be used in connection with bags of any character,for securely connecting the parts of the frame at the ends, that is, onopposite sides of the lock, the said mechanism comprising springcontrolled catches arranged to be released by push buttons or the likeoutside the bag, and wherein means is provided in connection with thesaid mechanism for normally holding the catch in release position afterit has been released until the parts of the frame are separated for theopening of the bag, the separation of the said parts releasing therestraining means for the catch and permitting the spring to function tohold the catch in normal locking position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a neat, simple andinexpensive catch which will be within the bag, thus permitting a neatfinish of the bag without bulky protuberances at the ends of the frame.

In the drawings: 7

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one end of the bag provided with theimproved catches;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the catch; I

Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to Fig. 2; v

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the catch and its operating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the restraining means;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the catch released. I

The present embodiment of the invention is shown in connection with abag 1 of ordinary construction, having the closing flaps at its top,which are supported by the usual metal frame, the said frame consistingof a portion or section 2 of angular construction which carries thecatch, and a portion or sec tion 3 which carries the keepers forengagement by the catch. The catch is mounted in a suitable casing 4which has flanges 5 at its ends riveted or otherwise secured to theframe part 2, and the catch comprises a bar 6 having upon its upper facea pair of upstand ng lugs 7, each lug having the face at one slde edgeof the bar perpendicular, the

l(gther face dipping or inclining toward the These catch lugs areadapted to be engaged by slots in keepers 8, a keeper being provlded foreach lug, and the keepers are secured to the portion 3 of the frame. Thebar 6 has a pair of depending pins 9, which pass through openings in thebottom of the case 4:, and coil springs 10 encircle the pins between thebottom of the casing and the bar, the springs acting normally to forcethe bar upwardly.

In closing the bag, it being understood that the parts 2 and 3 of theframe are hinged together in the usual manner, the keepers at their freeends engage the inclined faces of the lugs 7 and depress the bar 6agamst the resistance of the spring, until the lugs have entered theslots of the keepers, when the springs immediately force the bar upwardand the parts of the frame are locked together.

A push button 11. is provided for releasing the catchlugs, the saidbutton extending upwardly from the center of the bar 6, between the lugs7, and this button passes through an opening in the horizontal portionof the angle plate to and through an openlng in an escutcheon or housingplate 12 which is secured to the top of the angle plate 2 outside of theleather covering. With this construction, to release the frame parts,downward pressure is made upon the push button, thus depressing the bar6 and releasing the lugs 7 from. the keeper. Since the greater portionof bags have a spring lock, it will be obvious that in order to open thebag the catches must be held released while at the same time the lock isreleased, a somewhat troublesome operation.

Were means provided for holding the catches in release position when thebag were open, it would beneoessary to release such restraining meansbefore the bag could be completely closed. In order to obviate thisdifficulty I provide means for temporarily restraining or holding thecatches in re lease position until the bag is opened, that is, until theframe parts are separated, and the arrangement is such that theseparation of the frame parts releases the restraining or holding means,permitting them to functime in a normal when the bag is again closed.I11 order to obtain this result I provide a plate 13 having anupstanding lug 14 at its center and having openings 15 at its ends forpermitting the passage of the pins 10.

Referring especially to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the under face ofthe bar 6 is beveled, the said face inclining downwardly from theattached side of the part 2 toward the free side. The plate 13 restsupon this beveled face, and since the lug 1a is substantiallyperpendicular to the plane of the plate, it will be obvious that whenthe plate is held closely against the under face of the bar by thesprings, it will tend to throw the lug 14 outwardly away from theadjacent face of the bar. This lug 14, when the plate is in placebeneath the bar, with the pins 10 extending through the openings 15, isin position to engage between the keepers 8, as shown in Fig. 2, so thatthe lug does not interfere with the closing of the bag.

The keepers may be integral with the frame part 3, or they may extend infrom a separate plate 16 secured to the frame part as shown in Fig. 2.In either case a web is provided between the keepers, the said webextending over the upper edge of the frame part 3 and slightly over theupper edge of the adjacent wall of the casing 4 a sufficient distance tobe engaged by the lug 14 when the catch is moved into release position.With this arrangen'ient, when the .bar 6 is depressed by the push buttona suflicient distance to release the catch lugs from the keepers, thelug 14 which is caused to swing outwardly away from the bar 6 as abovestated, will engage beneath the web 17 and will holdthe bar with thecatch lugs in release position. So long as the bag is closed, the catchlugs will be so held. The web 17 is, however, connected with the framepart 3 and moves therewith, and when the bag is opened by moving theframe parts away from each other, the lug 14; will be disengaged fromthe web, and the catch support ing bar 6 will move with the catches intonormal position, so that it is again ready to look when the frame partsare closed. All of the catch is within the bag, it being only necessary.for the push button to protrude, and it will be obvious that the bagmay be :given a very neat appearance with such construction.

ers for engaging the catch lugs supported by the other frame member, thelugs being beveled to'be depressed by the keepers'when the bag isclosed, a plate mounted to I rock on the under face of the catchsupporting bar and normally pressed toward the bar by the spring supportof the bar, said plate having an upwardly extending lug adapted to berocked outwardly away from the bar by the spring support of the bar whendownward pressure is made upon the bar, the other frame member having aweb between the keepers 'for engagement by the lug to temporarily holdthe catch bar in inoperative positiom'said bar having means extendingoutside of the bag for operating the same. Y

2. In a bag, the combination with the hinged frame members, of a catchfor connecting the said members, said catch comprising a spring operatedlatch bar carrying a catch and supported by one of the frame members,the other frame member supporting a keeper for engaging the catch, aplate 85 mounted to rock on thevbar and having an outwardly extendinglugnormally pressed outwardly by the spring support ofthe latch bar andadapted to engage the other frame member to hold the latch bar depressedand releasable from the frame member by the separation of the saidmembers, said catch being within the bag and thelatch barhav- 'ing meansextending outside of the bag for operating the latch bar.

3. In a bag, the combination with .the hinged frame members,of acatchfor connecting the said members, said catch comprising a spring operatedlatch bar carrying a catch and supported by one of the frame members,the other frame member supporting a keeper for engaging the catch, aplate mounted to rock on the bar and having an outwardly extending lugnormally pressed outwardly by the spring support of the latch bar andadapted to engage the other frame member to hold the latch bar depressedand releasable from the frame member by the separation of the saidmembers.

4. In a bag, the combination with the 110 frame members movable withrespect to each other into open and closed position, of a catch forconnecting the frame members,said catch comprising a catch membercarried by one frame member and a keeper *carried by 115 the other framemember, the catch member being spring controlled to engage the keeperwhen the frame members are moved together, and 'means in connection withthe catch member and movable therewith for 120 engaging the other framemember to hold the catch member in release position and releasable bytheseparation of the frame members.

5. In a bag, a latch for connecting the 125 frame members comprisinga'spring catch carried by one of the frame members and-engaging meansfor the catch carried by the other member, and meansin connection withthe catch for engaging theother frame-mem- 139 her to hold the catch inrelease position and releasedgby the separation of the frame memberS theengagement of the restraining means for'the catch member beingcontrolled 5 by the releasing of the catch into engaging position. v

6. Ina bag, a latch for connecting the frame members comprising a springcatch carried by one of the frame members and engaging means for thecatch carried by the other member, and means in connection with thecatch for engaging the other frame member to hold the catch in releaseposition, said means being released by the separation of the framemembers.

JOHN W. KAUFMANN.

t'l'opies of this patent may be obtained for Live cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

a "Washington, D. G.

